Weekend on Wednesday
Episcopal News Service. September 29, 2004 [092904-2-A]
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), founder of the Franciscan order and patron saint of animals, will be remembered in parishes throughout the Episcopal Church and beyond this weekend in honor of his feast day October 4. Some highlights of services and events follow. Please contact your local Episcopal Diocesan Office for details of St. Francis day events near you.
BOSTON, Massachusetts - Trinity Church at 206 Clarendon St. will hold a blessing of the animals at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, in Copley Square, Boston.
HOUSTON, Texas - Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, Texas, will hold a Diocesan Children's Choral Festival welcoming Children's Choirs from around the Diocese of Texas to gather for a Festival Evensong in honor of St. Francis. Janet Scarcella will lead a day-long workshop for the choirs, and then conduct their presentation during Evensong on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, California - St. James' Episcopal Church, Wilshire Center, will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals service at 10 a.m. on Oct. 2. All people (and their pets) of all faiths (and types) are encouraged to attend. For more information Call 213-388-3417 ext. 102 for additional information. St. James', Episcopal is located at 3903 Wilshire Blvd.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - St Mark's Episcopal Cathedral will hold its Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m.
NEW YORK - The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m., followed by the Feast of St. Francis fair, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. www.stsjohndivine.org
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Manhattan will hold the Fourth Annual Blessing of the Pets on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is located at 240 East 31st Street, Manhattan, New York.
Blessing of the Animals in commemoration of Saint Francis Day in Grace Church, Manhattan, will be held Saturday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. For more information please call: 212.254.2000 or visit: www.gracechurchnyc.org. Grace Church, 802 Broadway at 10th St., Manhattan, New York.
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Deer Park, New York, will be holding its annual Blessing of the Animals in honor of St. Francis on Sunday, Oct. 3. The Blessing will take place at 3 p.m. in the church yard.
Brother Jason of the Order of St. Francis will be officiating. All are welcome to attend and bring their animal companions, safely leashed or caged.
For further information, call the church office at 631.242.7530. St. Patrick's Episcopal Church at 305 Carll's Path, Deer Park, NY 11729.
SANTA CLARITA, California - St. Stephen's Church in Santa Clarita will hold a Holy Eucharist and Blessing of the Animals at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the church courtyard. Attendees are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is located at 24901 Orchard Village Road, Santa Clarita, just north of Lyons Avenue. Further information: 661.259.7307 or visit www.st-stephens.org.
WHITTIER, California - St. Stephen's Church in Whittier will hold its eighth annual Blessing of the Animals service outdoors in front of the church at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Parishioners and neighbors are invited to bring dogs, cats, reptiles, birds and hamsters to be individually blessed. Each year more than 40 pets and their families attend. All types of companion animals are welcome, either on a leash or in a cage or carrier.
Further information: Mary Ann Henkle, 714.523.8688, or the church office, 562.947.0394.
Coming up Friday, October 1, 2004...
SAN DIEGO, California - St. Paul's Cathedral, San Diego, will host Dana Bagshaw's drama "Cell Talk" for one night only on Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral Fireside Room. The playwright will be present.
Cell Talk is an intimate and lively duologue between Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, two medieval women of whom little is known other than the two books they left behind: Julian's Revelation of Divine Love and the Book of Margery Kempe.
Julian was born in 1343, survived two plagues, and after receiving divine 'showings' in 1373 became an anchoress in a cell attached to the small church in Norwich. In that same year, Margery was born who, when 20 years old, married a burgess in nearby Bishop's Lynn. She thought she had a special calling, and came to visit Julian in 1410 to validate this. Their first meeting is briefly described in Margery's book, after which she adds this comment: '"Great was the holy conversation ... for many days that we were together."
The play focuses on the relationship between the two women, and explores what led to their first meeting and subsequent meetings over the next 10 years. For information and reservations please call: 619.298.7261 ext 356. www.stpaulcathedral.org.
Coming up Saturday, October 2, 2004...
LONG BEACH, California - A gathering to open the London Brass Rubbing Centre will be held 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Long Beach. Continuous entertainment will be provided by court musicians, gypsy dancers and madrigal singers.
For reservations please call: 562.436.4047. Tickets ($23) include a pass to the Brass Rubbing Centre, light repast and a tour of the church, a historical landmark. St. Luke's Church, 525 E. 7th Street, Long Beach, California. www.stlukeslb.org/welcome.html
LOS ANGELES, California - The College of Preachers will offer its second West Coast event, "Preaching in Urban Multi-Cultural Churches: A Conference with Steven Charleston & Christine Smith," Oct. 2-7 at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in Los Angeles.
Co-leaders of the event will be former Alaskan Bishop Steven Charleston, current dean and president of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chris Smith, a United Church of Christ clergywoman and professor of preaching at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Known for their dynamism, creativity, and understanding of multiculturalism, Charleston and Smith will explore with participants how each ministry context influences the intent and impact of preaching, and how preaching can speak a relevant and life-giving word to people who are diverse in terms of ethnicity, class, ability, gender, and sexuality. The conference will offer a time to sharpen homiletical skills, examine the content and substance of sermons, and nourish and mentor one another in the challenging tasks of urban preaching.
The Cathedral Center of Saint Paul is located at 840 Echo Park Avenue in Los Angeles. Conference fee is $500, plus room and board. To register for the conference, visit www.collegeofpreachers.org or contact Registrar Joan Roberts at 202.537.6381 or jroberts@cathedral.org.
VALHALLA, New York - A rural and migrant ministry presentation, "Welcoming New Neighbors: Immigrants in the 21st Century," will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A reception will feature hors d'oeuvres prepared by Cecilia Gutierrez, personal chef to David Rockefeller, from Rural and Migrant Ministry's "Cooking on the Road - Cocinando En El Camino."
$50 Adults, $25 Students, free to WCC Students. For more information please contact the Rural and Migrant Ministry at 845.485.8627.
WINSLOW, Maine - "Sustainability & Spirituality: Lighting the Way to an Earth Restored," an EarthCare Team Celebration & Support Day, will take place 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Congregation-based groups and individuals interested in spirituality, earth stewardship and sustainable lifestyles will come together at Living Water Spiritual Center, an ecumenical facility in Winslow, Maine, to celebrate, learn, and deepen their understanding and commitment to a ministry for earth's healing. The day-long event will feature Catholic environmental ethics writer Dr. John Carroll, who will share from his new book on faith-based sustainable communities, as well as hands-on workshops with information and ideas about earthcare ministry.
Teens and adults of all faiths are encouraged to participate. Fee for workshops, lunch, refreshments, and materials is $25 per person. To register, contact Anne D. (Andy) Burt at Maine Council of Churches, 207.772.1918 or adburt@gwi.net FMI, contact Andy or Christine James of Maine Interfaith Power & Light at 207.721.0444 or christine@meipl.org
Coming up Sunday, October 3, 2004...
BOSTON, Massachusetts - Trinity Church, Boston, will hold a forum, "Finding God in the Questions, Part I," at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3. Presented by Dr. Timothy Johnson of ABC News and Harvard Medical School.
Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116. 617.536.0944.
THE PLAINS, Virginia - The 2004-2005 Grace Church Concert Series will open on Sunday, Oct. 3 with a 5 p.m. performance by the internationally renowned Washington Bach Consort.
Led by founder Dr. J. Reilly Lewis, the Consort is committed to the study and performance of the complete vocal and instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as his baroque contemporaries.
The program the Bach Consort brings to The Plains explores the extraordinary diversity of Bach's non-choral works. Assisted by guest soprano Amanda Balestrieri and several WBC instrumentalists, Dr. Lewis offers a selection of solo vocal arias, sonatas and a suite. Violinist Elizabeth Field, ‘cellist Rebecca Humphrey, and flutist Colin St. Martin are each featured in a sonata, alternating with three arias sung by Ms. Balestrieri. In addition to playing continuo, Lewis will display his exceptional keyboard skills as soloist in a French Suite for harpsichord.
This year's concert series honors the 150th anniversary of Grace Church with outstanding programs and guest artists.
All concerts take place at Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, Virginia. The audience is invited to enjoy a delicious reception with the artists after each performance. Tickets are not required but a $15 donation is suggested. The series is presented through the generosity of Jacqueline Mars in memory of her mother, Mrs. Forrest Mars. For more information please call Grace Church at 540.253.5177, or visit www.gracechurch.net.
NEW YORK - Back by request and popular demand, the Hip Hop Mass will return to Trinity Episcopal Church in the Bronx every Sunday at 6 p.m. beginning Oct. 3.
Trinity Hip Hop Mass, the first of its kind on the East Coast, attracted over 700 attendees at seven summer street masses, including some big names from the world of Hip Hop. Featuring Kurtis Blow, the King of Rap, as MC and Director of Music and Bishop Suffragan Cathy Roskam of New York.
The service will also celebrate the launch of http://HipHopEMass.org, a website which will feature news and events, prayers and discussion, "links and all good things 'EHipHop!'"
Trinity Episcopal Church of Morrisania, 698 East 166th Street, Bronx, New York. 718.542.1309.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - State Day prayers this Sunday will remember New York in liturgies at Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues Northwest (Mount St. Alban), Washington, D.C., 20016; 202.537.6200; www.cathedral.org. Preacher will be the Rev. Canon Michael Wyatt. Next Sunday, Oct. 10: State Day prayers will remember Rhode Island.
ANGLICAN COMMUNION - Following the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, this Sunday (18 Pentecost) will give thanks for the Most Rev. Donald Leo Mtetemela, Archbishop of Tanzania & Bishop of Ruaha. The Anglican Cycle of Prayer can be accessed online at: www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/main.cfm.